508 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1893. 



(fig. 14^) tits very closely. A specimen exhibited by His Higbness, tbe 

 Sultan of Jobore in tbe section of games at tbe Columbian Exposition 

 consisted of a wooden cube about one- half an incb square, baviug one- 

 balf of eacb face painted red and one-balf wbite. Tbe prism in wbicb 

 tbe cube fitted was sligbtly convex on tbe bottom, and, wben placed 

 upon a smootb surface, could be twirled rapidly. Tbe game is i^layed 

 by placing tbe box containing tbe pb in tbe center of a square crossed 

 by diagonal lines, wbicb is drawn upon a mat. One of tbe four 

 divisions of tbe square is painted red. Tbe players lay tbeir bets upon 

 tbe otber divisions, and tbe box is spun rapidly by tbe gamekeeper, 

 wbo repeats tbe operation until it comes to rest squarely witb tbe cor- 

 ners corresponding witb tbe intersecting bnes. Tbe cover is tben lifted, 

 and tbose wbo bave staked ojiposite tbe red side of tbe die win. Tbe 

 banker wins wben tbe red side comes opposite tbe side of tbe square 

 painted red.* Tbere is said to be a current notion, amounting to a 

 superstition among tbe Cbinese in Jobore, tbat if a player stops tbe 

 box as it is spinning tbe luck will surely go against bim. 



KONG POH. 



Anotber specimen in tbe Sultan's collection, called at Jobore, l;ong 

 poll (Obinese fung po), " current treasure," furnishes an explanation ot 

 the name po. It consists of a wooden die (fig. 15((), witb a face 1| 

 inches square, and three-fourths incb thick, wliicb fits into a brass box 

 witb a broad base (fig. loh). A wooden cover (fig. 15 c) fits over tbe 

 box. This die is not spun, but is concealed in a bag which accompanies 

 it, and tbere adjusted by the gamekeeper. Tbe face of the wooden 

 die is carved witb tbe characters fang po (fig. 15 a), on one side in the 

 ordinary, and on the reverse in seal characters, tbe character fung 

 being painted red, and po wbite. The inscription fimg po, "current 

 treasure," occurs on the face of all modern Chinese coins (fig. 15 <1), and 

 tbe common name of tbe game is evidently derived from tbe character 



GAMES WITH DOMINOES. t 



Chinese dominoes, connnonly called Icwat p'dijf "bone tablets,"' con- 

 sist of 32 rectangular pieces of wood, bone, or ivory, similar to tbose 

 used in Europe and America (pi. 4). 



They differ, in tbe absence of tbe " blank" in the Cbinese series (fig. 



* The Manners and Customs of the Chinese of the Straits Settlements, Singapore, 

 1879, p. 63. The Chinese laborers in the United States are generally unfamiliar 

 ■with the game. 



t Read in part before The Numismatic and Anti(iuarian Society of Philadelphia, 

 November 4, 1886. 



tThis is the connnon name among the Cantonese. Medhurst's English and Chinese 

 Dictionary, Shanghai, 1»47, gives in addition two other names — ntjd jy'di, "ivory tab- 

 lets," and tim t8z' p'ai, " dotted tablets." 



